Canada has decided to sail more ships through the Taiwan Strait, in a message to China

Canada’s foreign minister Mélanie Joly has said that Ottawa will be sailing more naval vessels through the Taiwan strait, to make it clear that the Strait is an international waterway. China does not recognise the Strait as international water. The announcement comes on the heels of Canada’s release of its Indo-Pacific strategy, in which it categorised China as an “increasingly disruptive” power. 

“We need to make sure that the question of the Taiwan Strait is clear and that it remains an international strait,” said Mélanie Joly, as per a report from the Financial Times. The Canadian foreign minister added that, “We will continue to enforce the international rules-based order when it comes to the Taiwan Strait. And that’s why also we had a frigate going through the Taiwan Strait this summer, along with the Americans, [and] we’re looking to have more frigates going through it”. She was speaking in Bucharest, where she was attending a NATO foreign ministers meeting. She informed the audience that Canada will be committing new military assets to the Indo-Pacific region, as a part of its Indo-Pacific strategy. Canada’s announcement is important because Canada seems to be aligning itself more closely with US grand strategy in the region, whereas other American allies such as Germany, appear unwilling. 

What is the Taiwan Strait and what is the basis of China's claim?

Taiwan's Strait is a body of water that separates Taiwan from mainland China. It is an international waterway and is not subject to the claims of any one country. However, China has long claimed that Taiwan is a part of China and has sought to assert its control over the island and its surrounding waters.

There are several major historical incidents that are significant in the ongoing dispute over Taiwan's Strait. One of the most significant is the Chinese Civil War, which ended in 1949 with the defeat of the Nationalist forces and their retreat to Taiwan. Since then, China has claimed that Taiwan is a breakaway province that must eventually be reunited with the mainland, while Taiwan has maintained its independence and sought recognition as a separate country.